31 March 2011

Shuib - I'm not a bystander, I take full responsibility...

One of the 'Datuk T' trio, Perkasa treasurer Shuib Lazim, has come out to clear the air over his role in the recent sex video purportedly showing an opposition politician having sex with a prostitute.

Owning up over the video, he dismissed claims that he is merely an 'innocent bystander' over the whole episode.

"I really do take full responsibility over this video," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

This is in contrast to the claims by Sungai Petani MP from PKR Johari Abdul, who reckoned that Shuib is an unwitting accomplice to the debacle over the video, which showed a man resembling opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim engaging in a sex act with a woman claimed to be a prostitute. Johari - who is also Shuib's nepAdd Imagehew and close relative - had earlier defended his uncle and said that Shuib had told him privately that he does not think Anwar was the man in the video.

"I know my uncle and I don't think he'll go that far. I think he's just an innocent bystander... I think he is just a 'matcher' because I am his nephew. "Shuib also told me that he does not believe that it was (Anwar) in the video and I think he called me to watch it because he genuinely wanted me to see it and verify this," Johari was reported to have said last Thursday.

However, Shuib said that it could not be further from the truth. "I know that (the video) is the truth. I know that this is all real and that is why I joined the Datuk T gang. If it wasn't true, I would not have agreed to it," he said. When asked about Johari's allegations about his role, Shuib said that it was probably a case of the lawmaker wanting to “defend his boss”.

Death threats against Shuib

The 22-minute video recording was released last Monday by an initially mysterious Datuk T, who later unmasked themselves as being a 'trio' of businessman Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, former Malacca chief minister Rahim Thamby Chik and Shuib. Shuib not present at their press conference on Wednesday, it has given rise to speculation that he was not exactly a willing party.

Shuib, who sounded tired but affable over the phone, also said that he has received death threats. He refuted a New Straits Times article yesterday, however, that he had placed himself under voluntary house arrest, saying he still ventures out. "The police just told me to be careful," he said, denying that he received any police protection.

Shuib also said that he has given his statement to the police twice over the video, the most recent being just two days ago. Saying that he is still staying in his Kuala Lumpur residence, he joked that he will be going into "hiding" back in his hometown in Sungai Petani, Kedah, soon. "I nak sembunyi dah. I dah nak lari (I want to go into hiding now. I want to flee)," he said with a chuckle.

'Foolish, childish rants'

In a related development, PKR political bureau member and MP for Subang Sivarasa Rasiah warned Eskay against repeating his “foolish and childish rants” about Anwar's purported travels to Thailand or anywhere else. Sivarasa, who is also one of Anwar's legal counsels, said “no sensible person would deem it necessary to answer the sort of questions that Eskay is posturing with pretended bravado.”

"If Eskay has any specific accusations to make, then he should make them and meet the consequences, legal and otherwise," the lawyer said in a statement late last night.

Eskay is reported to have challenged Anwar to answer his questions about 'trips' to Thailand and his activities in a hotel therein. "Over the past two years, how many times has Anwar been to Thailand? Who greeted Anwar in Thailand? Which hotel did Anwar stay in? "What was Anwar doing in the hotel? And who paid for the travel expenses?" Eskay was quoted as having said yesterday. "Don't force me to reveal all of this. Ask Anwar to answer these questions before attacking me," he added.

Sivarasa said Anwar has been advised not to respond to Eskay's "foolishness".

"Eskay seems to have the benefit of BN-conferred immunity from criminal prosecution despite having openly committed the criminal offence of being in possession of an obscene video and also publicly screening it. "However any specific accusation that he chooses to make instead of these foolish vacuous questions will be met with the appropriate and stern legal riposte," said Sivarasa.

source:malaysiakini

'Shuib akui terima ancaman bunuh'

cheers.

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